Identification-card.



No. 776.560. PATBNTBD DEG. 6, I904.

' L. L. SMITH.

IDENTIFICATION CARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1 8. 1904.

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PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904. L. L. SMITH. IDENTIFICATION CARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18. 1904- no MODEL.

WITNESSES: 7%

' V UNITED STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT @FFICE.

' LOUIS LUM SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IIDENTIFICATlON-CAHDQ SPECIFICATION fol'ming part of Letters Patent N 0. 776,560, dated December 6, 1904.

Application filed April 18, 1904. Serial No. 203,801. (No model.)

T!) all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LOUIS LUM SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Identification-Card, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means foridentifyingany individual; and the object thereof is to provide an identification-card with such data and information and certifications as to exclude all reasonable doubts as to the identity of the individual carrying the card;

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front view of an envelop in which I inclose the card. Fig. 2 is a front view of the envelop with the card inclosed, a part of thematter contained thereon being omitted. Fig. 3 is a sectionalview on the line 3 3 of Fig. I, and Fig. 4. is a view of the card unfolded.

In the accompanying drawings like numerals of reference refer to the same parts in each of the views, and in practice I provide an identification-card 5, consisting of five pages adapted to fold in any suitable manner, so that when opened the essential data is all exposed, and on page 1 of this card which is exposed to view when the card is folded I place a portrait of the person to be identified, which is photographed on the material, .so that it cannot be removed and another placed in position, and underneath this photograph is placed the autograph signature of the individual and also a statement of his business, of his,

residence, and business address, if any. On

the left of the card I place the flag of the country in which the subject is domiciled and also a number by which a record may be kept in books suitable for that purpose for ready reference. I also place on the card a statement explaining from what date the identification is made, so that if a considerable time has elapsed since the identification inquiries may be made, if deemed necessary, as to present address andresidence.

The envelop 6 is made of transparent material, such as tracing-cloth, and bears at the bottom thereof simply the residence address at which it is to be delivered, which corresponds with the address on the card 5, the autographic signature of the individual and photograph appearing through the transparent envelop. This card also bears the registration data and instructions to the postmaster to de' liver to no one except the owner at address given, whose signature in receipting for the registered letter must correspond with the autographic signature appearing through the transparent envelop and who is further identified by means of the photograph which appears through the envelop. In this way the postman has an autograph signature in addition to the photograph with which to identify the individual to whom the card is sent, and as only the residence address appears on the envelop and the name of the individual appears through it when the card is removed from the envelop 6 a comparison can be made between the residence address on the card and the address on the envelop, showing that the. envelop was delivered at the same address as that appearing on the card, and hence must have been delivered 'lSOfilJllG individual whose autograph signature appears on the card below the photograph.

As further means of identifying the individual I provide on page 2 a notarial certificate as to identity and also a bank-certificate, if the individual has a bank account.

On page 3 I provide space for such data as may be deemed desirable, giving the individuals appearance and like information,- and also prefer to give on this page a statement as to how long he has resided at the present address, whether or not his name appears'in the directory and if so how many names appear in the present directory identically the same as the individuals, and a statement as to whether or not there are others in the city or town having the same name This feature will, if answered so as to show that there are other individuals in the town or city of the same name, lead to persons accepting the cards as a means of identification to look more closely at the other parts of the identification-card to ascertain if it is the individual with whom they desire to have buslness or soclal connections, and where more than one name appears 1n the directory checks and other valuable papers given to the individual could contain his address as well as name, which would remove all doubts in identification.

On page 4 of the card I may provide a cer tificate from the pastor of the church with which the individual is or has been connected, and I may also provide'a certificate from an employer, if the individual is working for someone else, and may provide other informa-- card of this kind is incinerated in a fire or similar disaster, and in order to provide for identification of the individual under such circumstances I provide a card 10, consisting of fireproof material, such as asbestos, around which I place a frame 11 of metal to protect the edges thereof, and I secure this card 10 to the back of page 3 of the card 5 by sewing the same thereto by stitches 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The frame 11 may be of different material to indicate male or female, and the thread by which the card 10 is secured to the card 5 may be also of different color to indicate 'male or female, and this card IQ is provided with raised letters 13, which are 1mpressed into the card to identify the individual, so that if the card 5 is burned and the body burned beyond recognition the card 10 would serve to identify the body, thereby saving the same from being buried without 1dentification.

In operation the card 5 is inclosed in an envelop having been previously prepared with photograph and autograph signature of the person to be identified, When received by him by registered mail, as described above, the envelop is preserved as a means of assist ng in the identification, and after a certain per od of time the card may be again sent to the individual by registered mail, thereby showing that the individual is still at the address, or if he has removed the card may be sent to the new address and the old envelop may be retained with the new envelop to show that the card was originally received at the address contained on it and the new envelop show the new address, or if aperson is going from one foreign country to another the card may be registered ahead to the country to which he is going, and thereby secure an identification in the post-oflice department in the country to which he is going. After the card is received the notarial certificate maybe obtained and also the indorsement of the bank, pastor, or employer, which would serve very specifically to prove that the individual Whose photograph and signature formed an inseparable part of the card was the actual person he represented himself to be. I 7

It will thus be seen that I have provided very specific and efiicient means of identifica' tion and one that will prove of great value to a person carrying it, for the reason that it would serve as positive means of identification, thereby doing away with any uncertainties.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An identification-card comprising a card having an inseparable photographic reproduction of the individual, his autograph and his residence address, in combination with a transparent envelop which has been registered to the individual, the autograph being visible through said envelop, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An identification-card comprising a card having an inseparable photographic reprod uction of the individual, his autograph, his residence and business addresses, in combination with a transparent envelop containing the residence address only, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. An identification-card comprising a card having an inse parable photographic reproduction of the individual, his autograph and his residence address, in combination with a transparent envelop which has been registered to the individual, the autograph being visible through said envelop, and printed instructions on said envelop to verify the photograph and autographic signature, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS LUM SMITH. W'itnesses:

ETHEL 'l. GooKE, G. P. VAN W E. 

